A major blow to British biofuels as Greenergy shuts biodiesel plant - EWABA
British energy firm Greenergy has temporarily suspended operations at its biodiesel plant in Immingham on the UK's east coast.
IMAGE: Greenergy
The decision comes after Greenergy reviewed the plant’s commercial viability, and amid major challenges currently affecting the UK biofuels industry, the company said in a statement.
Although significant cost-cutting measures were taken at Immingham, market conditions continue to “remain unsupportive,” Greenergy said.
“All staff at the site will remain employed throughout the review period and we are working closely with them,” the energy company added.
Greenergy has been of the primary producers of waste-based biodiesel in Europe, and was acquired by global commodity trading firm Trafigura in July 2024.
Tough times for British biofuels
Following Greenergy’s announcement, the non-profit European Waste-based & Advanced Biofuels Association (EWABA) noted that this “marks another major blow to the UK’s renewable fuels sector.”
EWABA has previously cautioned that policy inaction is driving biofuel production “to the brink” in the UK and the rest of Europe, despite the region's bid to position itself as a leading producer of green energy.
The non-profit has outlined three key drawbacks in the UK biofuels sector:
- Stagnant renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) targets that need to be updated
- Tariff-free biofuels imports under trade deals and inward processing
- Subsidised biofuels from China and the US displacing UK-made fuels
“Without urgent reform, the UK risks losing all domestic renewable fuel production,” EWABA said.
By Aparupa Mazumder
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